


Be Careful

by CaptainMarvel42



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Changing power dynamics, Childhood Trauma, Coercion, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Loneliness, Manipulation, Monsterfucking, No Pregnancy, Pining, Power Dynamics, Rey Has Abandonment Issues (Star Wars), Rey has a secret, Rough Sex, Selkie Ben Solo, Starvation, Under-negotiated Kink, Unhealthy Relationship with Sex, both want sex, but there are monster related surprises that are not consented to, of a sort, scary but hot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:14:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29413938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainMarvel42/pseuds/CaptainMarvel42
Summary: Kylo blamed the moon. It would have been so easy to miss her in the night, dressed all in black as she was, but he saw her for the first time because of the moon's dim light.And seeing her changed everything.(Or: Ben's a selkie, and Rey has a secret. He's drawn to her despite his better judgement.)
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 30
Kudos: 167
Collections: 2021 Reylo MonsterLoving Valentines





	1. Chapter 1

Kylo blamed the moon. It would have been so easy to miss her in the night, dressed all in black as she was, but he saw her for the first time because of the moon's dim light.

And seeing her changed everything.

She had been sitting on a rock at the water's edge, staring off into the distance with an look on her face that he knew well. It was the look of someone who didn't know their place in the world, the look of someone who wanted nothing more than to find belonging.

It was a look he had worn often before he had given up on the world and made the ocean his home.

Despite himself, Kylo wanted to know her and everything about her. He didn't approach her, but he watched her that night, and the next, and the one after that–

–and before he knew it, a month had passed. He was tired of watching. It was time to meet her.

Kylo wasn't prepared for what was going to happen next.

Idly, he wondered what would have happened if the moon hadn't been full that night, or if he hadn't seen her eyes. He asked himself if he would still be free.

✦✦✦

Kylo rarely left the ocean.

When he did, he would find a lonely woman, usually one whose husband was away, and take comfort in her touch for the night. He always left before morning.

Attached women didn't ask questions. They didn't want him to stay.

It wasn't difficult to find a woman who wanted him. His kind were hard to resist.

✦✦✦

Leaving the ocean meant taking a risk, but his weakness for human touch brought him back to land time and time again.

Kylo swam to a cave he had found long ago and pulled himself onto the rocks. Moving on land in his seal form was incredibly difficult, but he had to make sure he was alone. 

Once he was certain he was alone, he transformed into his human body. The process of shedding his seal skin wasn't painful, but being back in his human body was disorienting at first. His proportions were all different. Standing on two feet, even in a body that was built for it, made it difficult to balance.

He took his time stretching his limbs, bending his neck, and touching his skin. He had to reacquaint himself with a body he had once known so well. His first steps with his human legs were tentative, but he managed to keep himself from falling.

He looked around the cave for a spot to hide his seal skin.

The worst fate for a selkie was to have their skin stolen by a human. He shuddered at the thought. He wouldn't end up like his mom, wouldn't be trapped by–

No, he wouldn't think about her. About them.

They were his past.

As Kylo searched the cave for a hiding place, his steps became more confident. He found the perfect place – a deep crevice that could be blocked from sight by a large rock – and he gently placed his skin inside. He used a large rock to hide it from sight.

Satisfied that his skin was safe, he walked towards the exit. His pulse was racing in anticipation. He wanted to see her up close. He wanted to–

He stopped a few feet away from the exit. There was something he was forgetting.

Clothes. Humans wore clothes.

Kylo knew that many of the humans wouldn't mind finding him naked in the forest, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

Not until he found her.

✦✦✦

Now that Kylo remembered to look for them, he found the leather pants and black shirt he had hid here. They were souvineres from the last time he visited this island – Ahch-To the humans called it – and he was lucky they were still here. It gave him confidence that his skin would be safe.

The leather pants fit like a second skin, their weight comforting. He could almost forget the absence of his seal skin.

The black shirt was made of a soft fabric that felt unnatural against his human skin. He didn't like it, but he wore it anyway. He didn't have time to waste.

Kylo stepped out of the cave, and he walked up the stone steps that led into a dark forest.

✦✦✦

Kylo had never come to land looking for a specific woman before. It was much more difficult to find her than he had assumed.

He crossed paths with other women, some who stared at him like they wanted him, and it would have been easy to go to one of their beds, but that wasn't why he was here. He wanted her.

To get to the rock Kylo often saw her sitting on, he had to go deeper into the forest. The trees were so dense that the moonlight could scarcely be seen through their branches. He lost sight of the moon, and he no longer knew which way he was going.

Kylo stumbled over a branch. Something brushed his arm, and he jerked back.

"I didn't mean to startle you. I only meant to stop your fall." It was the soft voice of a woman. He hadn't heard her approach.

He turned to face the woman. She was holding a lantern, but her face was hidden beneath the shadow cast by the hood of her cloak. He recognized that cloak.

It was her.

"You surprised me." His voice was rough from disuse.

"I saw you alone out here, and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Me? You're alone too." The forest was a dangerous place for a woman alone at night. There were all sorts of monsters.

"Yes, but we're close to my home. You looked lost."

"I am lost." He was amused by the thought of a human woman protecting a monster.

"Come back to my place until morning. Daylight will make it easier for you to find your way." She stepped forward and the moonlight revealed the face behind the shadows. Up close she was paler than he had expected, and there was something strange about her eyes.

He pinched his brows together. "You would invite a strange man to stay with you? Wouldn't your husband mind?"

"No husband." Her voice was a seductive purr. "And maybe I like strange men."

"Do you?"

"Just the one." Her lips gave a slight twitch, and it was the closest thing to a smile that he had seen on her face. "Are you coming?"

"It sounds like I have no choice."

She touched his arm again. "You always have a choice, but I'm the best option."

He nodded. "Of that I have no doubt."

The hair on his arms stood up, which was not something he remembered experiencing before. He didn't know what his body was telling him.

She wasn't acting anything like the women who he usually spent his nights with. He thought that she must want him, but she wasn't acting like she had been affected by his allure. Instead of dazed like most of women he met, she was focused.

He didn't understand why she would want him if she wasn't affected by his allure, but he wanted her too much to question it too deeply. He didn't question it like he should have.

✦✦✦

Her home was nearby. It was a small cabin, and when she opened the door, he could barely see inside.

She put the lantern down on a small wood table and lit a fire. In the soft glow she looked gaunt.

She looked him over. "Did you fall in the water?"

He looked at her, not understanding.

"You're wet." Her strange eyes danced with amusement.

"I hadn't realized."

She raised her eyebrows.

That must have been an odd thing for a human to say. "I thought I would be dry by now."

She shook her head. "Not with the cold night air."

He needed to change the subject. "You never told me your name."

"Neither did you."

"I'm Ben." The name came out automatically, like an old habit he was trying to break. He didn't use that name anymore, but he couldn't take it back without seeming strange.

"Rey." She was staring at him with an intensity he was unused to.

It made him shift uncomfortably. "Nice to meet you."

"You should take off your clothes."

His eyes widened. She was more direct than other women.

"You don't want to get sick from the cold. I'll look away while you get undressed if you're shy."

He swallowed. "And if I'm not shy?"

A smile came to her face at last, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Then I'll watch."

He took off his shirt and dropped it on the floor, watching the way Rey devoured him with her eyes.

She circled him like he imagined a predator would circle their prey. It made him feel exposed and vulnerable. Even though he was still wearing his leather pants, he had never felt so naked.

"Do you like what you see?" His voice was raspy.

"I do." She put her hand on his chest, and he leaned into her touch. "I like it very much, and I would like to see more." She dragged her hand down his chest and stomach until she reached the top of his pants. "How do these come off?"

"There are buttons–"

She got to work undoing the buttons.

"–and some laces."

She undid those as well.

She helped him push his pants down.

He was naked.

"Very nice." Her hand was stroking his arm. "Can I touch?"

He looked at her hand. "You already are."

"You know what I mean."

He did. "You can touch." He was starting to harden.

She wrapped her hand around his cock, and his breath hitched. Her hand was soft and warm. That was one of the things he liked most about humans, their warmth, but she ran hotter than the typical human. He must have been colder than he had thought.

It took no time at all before he was fully erect. She knew what she was doing.

Abruptly, she took her hand away. "Get on the bed."

He complied automatically, sitting on the bed. He had never had a woman take the lead in this way before.

Rey took off her cloak, revealing the simple black dress she wore underneath. She hung the cloak on the wood chair next to the bed. Through the thin fabric of the dress, he could see the outline of her nipples. Seeing where he was staring, she smiled.

Rey pushed him down and straddled him, still wearing her dress.

He wanted to ask her to take the dress off, but he also wanted to see what she would do next. He was surprised by how much he liked doing what she told him.

She licked his neck. "You taste like saltwater."

His heart pounded. "Like you said, I fell in the water."

"Hmm." She nipped at his neck hard enough to leave a mark, causing him to let out a whimper. "I kind of like it." She soothed his tender skin with her tongue.

Then she rocked against him, and he realized she wasn't wearing anything under her dress.

He bit back a moan.

She bit his lip. "None of that. I want to hear you."

He nodded.

She put her hand in his hair and pulled. "What did I say?"

"You want to hear me."

"That's better." She rubbed his scalp, and he leaned into her hand. The confusing combination of pain and pleasure wasn't one he had explored before. She licked his face and ran her hands down his arms. She touched him in so many different ways, but none of them were the way he wanted her to touch him. She sat perfectly still as she explored his body.

He thrust his hips, trying to get her to move, and she tugged his hair again. "None of that. Use your words."

"I want you to move." He cringed at how needy he sounded, but she must have liked it because she rewarded him by rubbing her cunt across his length. This time he let his moan out.

She was so wet already. "See what you get when you use your words."

"Yes."

She bit his ear. "What do you want?"

"I want to fuck you."

"Hmm, I don't think so." She teased him by continuing to rub her cunt on his cock. "I'll be the one doing the fucking. Try again."

He whimpered. "I want to feel your cunt around my cock."

"Better." Her slow movements were a delicious torture, and from the way she was grinning at him, she knew that he needed more.

"Now?"

"Impatient, but you've been good, so I'll give you your reward." She lined her cunt up with his cock and in a practiced motion she slid down and took him all at once.

Rey's wet heat was everything he hoped it would be. It took all his willpower to stop himself from moving his hips. He knew he had to wait for her to take the lead.

Her eyes were closed. "Mmm, you'll do nicely."

He preened from her praise.

Rey wasn't moving, and she looked so relaxed, like she could stay motionless on his cock forever.

He thrust his hips, just a little, and she grabbed his thigh in a painful grip, her nails biting into his skin.

He winced.

"None of that. I'll be the one doing the fucking."

"Sorry–"

"Are you?" The sharp pain from her nails grounded him, kept him from thrusting again.

"You feel so good. I couldn't help it."

She rubbed her hand on his thigh. "Apology accepted."

He didn't know if he should believe her. She was using him for her pleasure, his own incidental to hers.

Rey moved her hips, and it was the best he had ever felt in his life. Every nerve ending was alight with the most intense pleasure he had ever experienced.

Her eyes remained closed.

She sped up her pace and rode him hard. The pleasure was overwhelming, and he cried out her name over and over between moans. She had wanted him vocal, and she was getting it.

Her breath was coming out in small pants and her thighs were twitching. He wanted to see her eyes.

He cupped her face and said her name again.

Rey opened her eyes, and they were bright gold. He told himself it must have been the light from the fire.

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you like what you see?"

She was terrifying and beautiful. "Yes."

She bared her teeth, and unless it was his imagination, they were now pointed at the ends.

He didn't understand. "What are you?"

"You don't need to worry about that right now. Enjoy yourself."

"I am."

She clenched around him, and he lost his ability to think. "You're being so good. I'll let you come soon." Her eyes glowed brighter. She brought her lips to his in a punishing kiss that was all teeth.

He tried to kiss her back, but she didn't let him. She wouldn't surrender control. There was a metallic taste in his mouth that was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

She clenched around him again, and his orgasm ripped through him. She continued to violently kiss him, and it was like she was sucking the life out of him, but that wasn't possible.

If he was thinking clearly, he would have pulled out, but he wanted to give her everything–

–and she took it. Her thighs started shaking. "That's it. Give me everything you have." Her words an echo of his thoughts.

He lost sight of where he ended and she began. It was like they were one and the same.

When he came back to himself, he noticed that she had rested her head on his chest, and he had wrapped his arms around her. His cock was soft, but he wanted to stay inside of her.

That thought should have scared him. It should have been the sign that told him it was time to leave. He always left before morning, but he was hit with an intense wave of exhaustion, and it couldn't hurt to close his eyes for a minute.

✦✦✦

He was alone in her bed. In the morning light he could see her cabin clearly. Everything was old, but well cared for. She must have been here for a long time.

He sat up, and other than his mouth being a bit sore, he felt great. He was full of energy. Normally he wouldn't have sex with a woman more than once, but maybe with her he could make an exception and–

"You're awake."

He hadn't noticed Rey sit next to him on the bed. "You sound surprised."

She grabbed his jaw and looked into his eyes. "I am."

He resisted the urge to pull away from her grasp. "Is it not morning?"

"It is." She frowned. "I thought I wore you out."

"You did." He never would have stayed the night if she hadn't.

She tilted her head. "You seem fine."

His heart was pounding in his chest. "Should I not be?"

She released his jaw and brought her lips to his ear. Her breath was hot against his skin. "What are you?"

His breath caught in his throat. This was why he never stayed. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're not human."

He scrambled out of the bed. "Why would you think–"

She followed him, and he backed up, bumping into the wall. "You wouldn't be standing here talking to me if you were human. Are you a fae? A demon?"

"No." He shook his head. "Neither." He moved towards the door, picked up his pants, and put them on.

"Answer me."

He felt compelled to answer her, but he resisted. "I already did."

Rey's eyes glowed gold again. "There's something you're not telling me."

He needed to distract her. "Your eyes were gold last night – are gold now. What are you?"

Her eyes widened. "You're imagining things."

"Your teeth were sharp." It was then that he realized that the metallic taste in his mouth had been blood. "Tell me why."

"None of your business."

"You were surprised I was awake, your eyes were gold, and your teeth were sharp. It was like you were–"

She scoffed. "You know nothing."

"–sucking the life out of me–"

Her voice raised in pitch. "You must be delirious from the cold. Who walks around damp at night?"

"–like a succubus."

She flinched.

He was right, and being here with her was a terrible mistake. "I'm leaving."

She grabbed his arm. "Stay."

"Why?"

She sucked in a breath. "Because I didn't hurt you." Her voice sounded small.

"And next time?"

She bit her lip. "I don't know."

He pulled his arm away from her. "I'm not taking the risk."

She reached for his arm again, and he stepped back. "Tell me what you are." She wasn't giving up.

He ran out the door. Ran as fast as he could.

If he hadn't been in such a hurry, he wouldn't have left his shirt behind, and he would't missed the word she muttered under her breath.

"Saltwater."

✦✦✦

He ran until his legs were on fire, and then he walked for hours more.

He was afraid she was following, and he didn't want to lead her to his skin. She had wanted him to stay, and if she found out what he was, she could easily make him stay.

She was dangerous.

And he was the fool who went to her willingly.


	2. Chapter 2

Being in the ocean again meant that Kylo was safe. In his seal form Rey couldn't steal his skin and imprison him. He shouldn't think of her as Rey. She was a succubus not a person. She was a monster.

Like him.

He pushed that thought away because it was too painful to dwell on. They were different types of monsters, and between the two of them, she was the dangerous one.

✦✦✦

If he was smart, he would have swam as far away from Ahch-To as he could get. He wouldn't have gone to see the succubus the next night at what he had come to think of as her rock.

He wasn't smart.

She was sitting on the rock like nothing had happened, and she was wearing that same lonely look on her face–

–but a succubus couldn't be lonely. They were creatures who craved nothing more than the life they stole from the fools who risked having sex with them. Most humans could be forgiven for their foolishness. Too few knew about the monsters on the fringes of their world, but those who did know, humans and other monsters alike, they couldn't be forgiven.

Kylo had made a terrible mistake by risking being found out by her. He shouldn't have given into temptation and swam to see her one last time.

He started swimming away, but stopped when he heard a sharp inhale. He turned to face her, and she was looking in his direction. His heart, which was located beneath his flippers, froze.

Then she looked up at the night sky.

He must have imagined it. She didn't know he was there, and she didn't know who he was.

He needed it to stay that way.

Kylo let out a breath and dove into the water. He dove as deep as he could go. He rarely stayed under water for very long, but he was too afraid to surface. He stayed under until he needed to surface to breathe.

It wasn't long before he dove again.

✦✦✦

The ocean went on forever, always more to explore, but never enough distance between him and his past.

Meeting the succubus brought his parents to his mind, which made him angry. He had gone a long time without thinking about them and what they had done, what his dad had done, and the secrets they had kept from him–

He needed a distraction.

The only distraction he could think of was her, and he wasn't going to see her again.

✦✦✦

Night fell and Kylo swam back to her rock. He did his best to stay out of sight and waited for her to arrive.

She was late.

Not that she knew he was waiting, but for the past month her routine had been consistent. Every evening she had arrived at the same time.

Something was wrong.

He told himself that he wasn't worried, that he was just curious. She was far more interesting than anything else in his life, so he was disappointed that he came here for nothing. No other reason.

He should have left, but he waited.

And waited.

When she finally arrived, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was wearing the same cloak, but this time both her hood and hair were down. Her hair went down to her shoulders and had loose waves. She looked softer with it down, almost vulnerable.

Kylo was so mesmerized that he forgot to hide.

Just like every other night, she sat on the rock, but this time something different happened. She spoke. "I wish I wasn't so alone."

Kylo looked around, trying to see who she was talking to, but no one was there.

She looked up at the sky. "For a moment I had been stupid enough to believe that I didn't have to be alone."

She gave a bitter laugh. "My kind are built to be alone, but there must be something wrong with me because I hate being alone. Maybe it's because I grew up believing I was human… but you don't care. You're the moon, and like my kind, you were built to be alone."

She stood up, and Kylo wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her that he was listening, and she wasn't alone. He knew what it was like to grow up believing you were human only to discover that you had been a monster all along. His parents had kept the truth from him. They had kept his skin from him. The day he found it was the last day he thought of himself as human and the last day he saw his family.

Kylo watched her leave, and there was nothing he could do. He had the strange urge to comfort her, but he held himself back. You didn't comfort a succubus, no matter how sad they looked.

Her growing up believing she was human didn't change that.

✦✦✦

The next night he went back to her. She was on the same rock and wearing the same cloak. Her hair was down again.

He listened as she talked to the moon. "The first human I killed was an accident. I woke up so hungry, and the only thing that stopped the hunger was touching the young man I was seeing. We had sex – my first time – and I felt so much better–"

Kylo had no right to feel jealous. He had no claim to her, and he didn't want one.

"–but he fell asleep and never woke up. I was scared because I didn't understand what happened. Because I knew I would be blamed for his death, I ran. I ran as far as I could and only stopped once I got hungry again."

Kylo remembered his own confusion when he found out he was a selkie, when he found out his dad had stolen his mom's skin, and when he found out they were both hiding his own skin from him. He had been so angry and violent. It had been easy to take his skin back and run. He ran until he found the ocean.

And then he swam.

He was still swimming.

She crossed her arms, shielding herself from the cool night breeze. "The next man died, so I tried a woman after that, but she died too." Her smile was bitter. "It took me a long time to learn how to feed from humans without killing them. Sometimes I still slip up because I can never predict how much life they have. Ben was different."

Kylo startled at the use of his human name. He swam closer, wanting to make sure he missed nothing.

She exhaled slowly and closed her eyes. "I haven't needed to feed since my night with Ben. He gave me so much life. With him I wouldn't have to…"

She stopped talking, and he thought he saw a tear fall down her face. He was overcome with the urge to wipe it away. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to worry and everything would be okay. He had never had the urge to comfort anyone before, not since he found out what he was.

"Thanks for listening." Her voice was shaking. She stood up slowly, her legs unsteady, and she walked away.

Kylo wondered at the ache he felt as he watched her leave.

✦✦✦

She stared at the moon and didn't sit down. "I can stay long tonight."

Kylo found himself disappointed by her words. There was nothing he looked forward to more than learning more about her.

"I was hoping Ben would come back, but he hasn't, and I need to feed."

Kylo didn't want to think about what that meant. He didn't want to picture the lucky man or woman who she would choose next, but the more he fought against the images, the clearer they became. He saw her nails bite into a man's skin, and he saw her teeth scrape across a woman's bottom lip. He heard moans that weren't his.

Watching her walk away was the worst torture.

✦✦✦

Kylo swam to the cave. He didn't want her to find someone else, not when she could have him.

He didn't understand why, but she had said he was less drained by her strange powers than any of the humans she had been with. He didn't know how often a succubus needed to feed, and he didn't know what happened when they fed from other monsters.

Kylo knew he shouldn't risk his safety to go to her, but he ignored the voice of reason in his mind and followed his instincts. He craved her, and the idea of her with someone else made him shake from jealousy.

He hoped he wasn't too late. Surely, even if she had already found someone, she would want him more.

Kylo was impatient. He removed the seal skin without first searching the cave, and he used the same hiding spot.

He put on the leather pants and looked for his shirt, and then he remembered that he had left it at her place. Walking around at night without a shirt would draw attention, but he needed to find her before she found someone else more than he needed to be discreet.

✦✦✦

Kylo ran to her home, and he knocked on the door.

She didn't answer, so he knocked on the door again. When no answer came, afraid that he was too late, he rested his ear on the door. There was no sound coming from inside.

He tried to open the door and was surprised to find it wasn't locked. He remembered where her matches were, so he walked over to the fireplace and lit a match. Looking around her home with the aid of the small flame, he confirmed he was alone.

Maybe he should leave. Humans didn't appreciate people coming into their homes uninvited.

But she wasn't human and neither was he.

Kylo used the match to light the wood in her fireplace so that he could see better. Her place looked the same as last time, well used but well cared for belongings scattered across her home. It wasn't messy, but it wasn't unnaturally tidy like the home he grew up in. It looked cozy.

He spotted his shirt on her bed, and he walked towards it. The shirt had been folded, but it didn't look like it had been cleaned. He picked the shirt up, and he sat down on her bed. Her pillow was indented from when she last slept. He brushed his hand against the pillow and imagined he was touching her face. He wanted to feel her skin against his and–

"What are you doing here?"

Kylo startled.

She was standing in the doorway and her arms were crossed, but she didn't look angry. Her eyebrows were raised, and she was looking down at him. He couldn't remember the name of the expression on her face.

Ben decided to be honest. "I was looking for you."

She was tapping her finger against her arm. "Why?"

"I wanted to see you."

"And?"

"What makes you think there's an and?"

"You haven't moved from my bed." She walked towards him. "I think you like it there."

He swallowed. "I do."

She traced his jawline with a sharp fingernail. "I didn't hurt you last time."

He remembered the bite of her nails and the sting of her teeth. He should have felt trapped, but instead, he leaned into her touch.

She brought her hand to his hair and stroked it. "Nothing you couldn't recover from." It sounded like she believed her words.

"I want you." He hadn't meant to say that, but it was true.

She tilted his chin up and examined his face. "You do. You're such a strange creature."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. "I like how strange you are." She tugged his hair. "Are you going to kiss me Ben?"

He pulled her into a kiss. This one was different from the ones they had shared that night. This kiss was soft and tender.

She didn't return his kiss. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you." He leaned in again.

She covered his mouth with her hand. "I know, but why are you kissing me like that?"

"Like what?"

She looked to the side. "Like you care."

"Because I do care."

Her eyes widened, and she looked back at him. "Why?"

"You're lonely."

"What does that have to–"

He took her hand. "I'm lonely too."

She shook her head.

He brought his lips to the back of her hand. "We don't need to be alone, not when we have each other."

This time she kissed him, and it was clumsier than all her other kisses. It was like she wanted to be gentle but didn't know how.

He decided to take the lead and show her. He licked her bottom lip, and her lips parted. He slowly stroked the tip of her tongue with his own, causing her breath to hitch.

He treated her like a scared animal, telegraphing his every movement because he didn't want to have to stop.

"You're beautiful." The words left his mouth without thought. He searched her face for her reaction, but she looked frozen. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have–"

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"You are."

She pushed him down and straddled him. Her kiss was bruising, and she was in control once again.

He didn't know where the impulse came from, but he pushed her over so that he was on top and held her wrists above her head with one hand.

They were both breathing heavily.

"This time can I take the lead?"

Her eyes were wide. "Okay."

He released her wrists to see if she would try to try to take back control.

She stayed still.

He kissed her cheek, her neck, and then her shoulder. She was covered in far too much fabric, so he took off her cloak first.

Then he moved to her black dress, which she allowed him to take off. Like the night they met, she wore nothing underneath. Seeing her without clothes was more intimate than anything else they had shared. "So beautiful."

"Are you going to get undressed now?" It sounded more like a command than a question, but he let it go because he didn't mind taking off his pants. He wasn't used to wearing clothes.

She watched him as he took off his pants. "That's better. You're beautiful too."

He laughed. "I've never been called beautiful before."

"Really? There's so much strength in your body. Your hair is thick, you look healthy, and you're eyes…"

"What about my eyes?"

She gave him a watery smile. "When I look at them, I feel seen."

He cupped her face. "I feel it too."

"You haven't called me by my name yet."

"Rey." He put all of his confusing feelings into another kiss. He wasn't good at words, but he was good at this. "I see you."

"Ben." She moaned. "I want more."

"I want to give you everything." He explored her body with his hands. "I want to touch you everywhere." He kneaded her breasts and pitched her nipples.

"More."

He took her nipple into his mouth and sucked, his hands running up and down her sides.

She moaned. "More."

He moved to the other nipple and spread her legs his hands. He trailed his mouth down her stomach until he reached her core. He was too impatient to tease, so he licked her lips, tasting her.

"Ben." Her voice was breathy.

Encouraged by her response, he licked again. He delighted in every moan and ever whimper. He licked until her words became unintelligible.

He added a finger, and she screeched. Concerned, he paused and looked up at her face.

"Don't stop." She put her hand in his hair and tugged. "More."

He added another finger, using two fingers to fuck her hard while he licked her clit.

It didn't take long for her legs to start shaking from her orgasm. Her eyes turned yellow, and her teeth sharpened. This time he wasn't alarmed.

He kept thrusting his fingers and licking her clit. He wasn't going to stop unless she told him to. He added a third finger.

She whimpered.

He kept going. His hand and mouth were tiring, but he wanted her to come again. He increased his pace, and she screamed his name. He felt her clench around his fingers as she came.

"Enough." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard it clearly. He stopped licking and slowly removed his fingers.

He brought his hand to his mouth and licked.

She moaned again.

He brought his fingers to her lips. "Taste yourself."

She sucked on all three fingers, careful not to cut him with her teeth.

He moaned at the sight. "Beautiful."

She took his fingers out of her mouth. "Still?"

"Always." He kissed her forehead. "I've never met anyone as beautiful as you."

She smiled. "You stole the words from my mouth."

"Let me fuck you."

"I could hurt you. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"You're worth every risk." He kissed her. The pain didn't bother him, not when it meant that he could be closer to her.

He kissed her until all he could taste was his own blood.

She brought her hand to his hard cock and stoked.

He moaned. It was good, but it wasn't what he wanted. He lined his cock up with her entrance and watched her yellow eyes as he sunk into her.

She was so warm and tight, and her eyes were impossibly brighter. "Move."

He snapped his hips back and thrust into her. He moaned, and then he thrust again.

Rey gripped the bed sheet tightly. "More."

He found a pace they both liked – punishing enough for her tastes but not too painful for his tastes – and he peppered her with kisses as he fucked her.

He had fucked many women, but not of them compared to Rey, and it wasn't because she was a succubus. Her lonely soul spoke to his, and he wanted nothing more than more time with her.

Being understood was more intoxicating than any drug and more addictive too.

As he fucked Rey, her eyes continued to brighten, but he wasn't scared. He didn't think she wanted to hurt him, and even if she did, he thought it would be worth it.

He fucked her until she cried out his name again, her third orgasm of the night, and the way she looked at him sent him over the edge.

Rey wrapped her arms around him. "Don't leave me."

He tucked her hair behind her ear. "I won't."

She nodded against his chest, and he fell asleep wrapped up in her arms.

✦✦✦

He woke up slowly. He was sore, especially his mouth, but in a good way. Rey hadn't taken too much life from him.

He reached for her, but she wasn't in bed with him. He opened his eyes and looked for her.

Other than him, her home was empty.

His heart rate started to increase. He got out of bed and put on his pants, and then he opened the door. "Rey?"

He closed the door behind him. She was nowhere to be found.

He told himself there was no reason to panic, but then he remembered how she made him promise not to leave her.

There was only one way to guarantee a selkie would never leave.

He ran.

✦✦✦

Rey was in the cave, and she had found his hiding spot. He needed to distract her.

"Why?" He meant to sound angry, but even to his own ears, the hurt rang loud and clear.

She faced him. "So that you'll never be able to leave me."

His worst nightmare was about to come true, and it was his fault for trusting her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely loved writing this. It's different from everything else I've written, and it has been such a great learning experience. Thanks for reading! 🖤

Kylo pushed Rey against the wall, her back was warm against his front. "How did you know–"

She cut him off with a cruel laugh. "I followed you here."

"When?"

"Last night. After I left the spot where you like to watch me, I hid and watched you swim here."

He tightened his hold. "What made you think to–"

"You tasted like saltwater."

He remembered her remarking on his taste, but he hadn't thought anything of it, had thought his explanation about the ocean water was enough. "That could have been from the ocean water."

"Yes, but it was a hint. I wasn't certain until I saw your seal form."

Kylo cringed, remembering how foolish he had been. "How did you know it was me?"

"Because I saw a seal watching me the night after you ran from me. The same seal came back the next night and the one after that."

He exhaled slowly. "I shouldn't have been so careless."

Rey moved so suddenly that he wasn't able to react in time. She had his back against the wall, and her arm was tight against his throat. "I'm glad you were."

He tried to move but she applied more pressure on his throat and pushed his shoulder tight against the wall. He didn't remember how long this body could go without breath.

Despite her size – so much smaller than him – she was strong, maybe stronger than he was.

He tried to grasp for breath, but his airway was blocked too effectively. It was increasingly difficult to think and his vision became hazy.

Rey moved her arm back just enough for him to take in a welcome breath. "Are you going to be a good boy and tell me where your skin is?"

Kylo shuddered. "No."

"You'd rather die?"

He didn't need time to consider his answer. "Yes."

Something he couldn't decipher flickered in her eyes. "You mean that."

"I do."

"You'd rather die than be with me." Her voice was small.

Despite everything, his heart squeezed at the sound of her voice. "No."

"Then what–"

"I went to you willingly." That's what made this so difficult. "You didn't need to–"

"You would have left again." Her voice was raw with emotion.

"Yes." The ocean was part of him, and he couldn't stay away for long. "But I would have come back."

Rey shook her head. "Nobody ever comes back."

"I would have."

She squeezed her eyes shut, blinking back tears before opening them again. "It doesn't matter because I've ruined it now. The only way you'll stay is if I make you."

"You may think you want that, but trust me, you don't."

"Don't presume to–"

He cut her off. "My parents were miserable, and I never understood why until I heard them arguing one night."

She wrinkled her brow, looking unnerved about the direction this conversation was taking. "What did they argue about?"

"How my dad stole my mom's skin, how he made her live out her life on land, and how she never chose to be a wife and mother." It still hurt to remember that she had never wanted him. "I tried to steal my mom's skin, so I could give it back to her, but when I found the skin…"

It was like he was living that terrible night over again.

"What happened?"

Even though it was difficult to say the words, he wanted her to know the truth. "I found my own too."

"You didn't know what you were." At last, he thought that she understood.

They weren't so different.

"I always knew a piece of me was missing, but I didn't know what until I found my skin." His voice broke. "Don't make me feel that way again."

"I need you." Her admission likely wasn't easy for her. He doubted she had let her walls down for anyone in years.

He wanted to give her what she needed, but he couldn't lose that piece of himself again, couldn't live a life trapped on land–

–even if that meant losing Rey.

He needed her to let him go. "Please."

Rey released him, and she held herself, making herself look so small. "Will you come back?"

He rubbed his neck where he knew there would be a bruise. He was both relieved and surprised that she was letting him go. "I don't know."

She took a step back.

He stepped towards her. "Thank you."

She stepped back again, bumping into the wall of the cave. "Don't thank me. I don't deserve it."

He should have been angry or afraid, but as he watched her walk away, he longed for her closeness.

He understood her too well.

✦✦✦

Kylo didn't go to her that night.

✦✦✦

Or the next.

✦✦✦

Nearly a month passed before he went back to her rock. Kylo was afraid that she wouldn't be there, that he was too late.

Seeing her again was like seeing the sun creep up just as morning broke. She was hidden away in her cloak, but what little he could see of her face was radiant.

This time he didn't hide.

Rey's eyes widened when she saw him, and she came to him, close to the water's edge. "Ben."

She reached out to touch him, and he didn't flinch away. He leaned into her hand.

Her voice was so soft he almost missed it. "Thank you."

They stayed like that for what felt like hours.

✦✦✦

They made a habit of it.

✦✦✦

Kylo was so stupidly happy to see her every night that it took him far too long to notice how gaunt she had become.

Once he noticed, it was all he could see. Every night there was a little less life in her–

–and in his seal form he couldn't say anything.

✦✦✦

Kylo decided to go to her the next morning.

It took longer than he would have liked to find a new cave and hide his skin somewhere safe. His lack of clothing was also an issue. He snuck around town until he found pants and a shirt in his size to steal.

The pants were black and a little short, and the white shirt was tight across his shoulders, but he didn't have time to be picky. Something was wrong with Rey, and he didn't want to be too late.

This time he ran to her, ran as fast as he could to her home and knocked on her door.

There was no answer, so he tried to open it, but it was locked. He knocked again.

Kylo heard shuffling, and the door finally opened.

Rey looked worse in the daylight. Her skin was grey and she had lost weight. He had never seen her look fragile before. "You're here." She didn't sound like she believed what she was seeing.

He wondered if she was ill enough to hallucinate.

She was wrapped up in a blanket and was shivering.

It wasn't cold out.

He shut the door behind and wrapped his arms around her, hoping to warm her up. "I am."

She pressed her face into his chest and inhaled. "Why?"

Kylo rubbed her back. "I missed you."

"You see me every night." Her voice was rough from disuse.

"But I can't talk to you–" He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Can't kiss you or comfort you–"

"Why would you want to?"

He held her tighter. "You know why."

She swayed in his arms, so he picked her up as gently as he could and walked her over to her bed. He put her down and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

He didn't join her on the bed, unsure of his welcome. "What happened to you?"

"I haven't fed since you left."

His eyes widened. He didn't want her to feed from anyone else, but she needed to feed to live. "Why?"

"There's no one else I want."

He choked back a sob. "Let me help–"

"You don't owe me anything."

"I know." He laid next to her, on his side, as close as he could get without touching. "I want to help."

Rey reached out with a trembling hand and cupped his face. "Are you sure?" She stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"Yes." He could see that she wasn't allowing herself to believe his words, so he decided to show her.

He brushed her forehead with his lips, trailing them down her cheek and over to her mouth. Once his lips touched hers, he was overwhelmed with want.

Rey opened her mouth, and he took his time exploring. He wanted to know every inch of her.

She gave a pleased sigh, and he smiled. She seemed content to let him set their pace.

He had missed her.

He showed her how much he had missed her with his lips and his hands. He helped her out of her clothes and tasted the skin that was revealed. He used his hands to soothe away the pain in her body. "Tell me what feels good."

"You do. Having you here is everything."

He slid inside her, and it felt even better than it had before because there were no lies between them. "Take what you need."

This time she didn't question him. Her eyes glowed gold and her teeth sharpened. She took and she took, but he wasn't afraid because he knew she didn't want to hurt him.

She was tight and warm around his cock. Every snap of his hip brought both of them pleasure, but more importantly, it allowed her to take some life from him.

"Yes–" she clenched around him and screamed his name.

He groaned. "Rey." He sped up his pace, fucking her though his orgasm and chasing his own.

She licked his lips. "Come for me."

And he did.

He hoped she had taken enough. He hoped he had given her enough.

✦✦✦

After, Kylo held Rey in his arms. Her body was strong once more, and he had been right, she hadn't hurt him. Fatigue was a small price to pay for her health.

Rey brought his hand to her lips. She hadn't said much, but he could sense her uncertainty. "Will you stay?"

He wanted to tell her yes, but he knew that wasn't true. They had already lied to each other enough for one lifetime. "For a while."

She nodded. "Will you come back?"

He shifted in her bed so that he was leaning over her and looking in her eyes. "Always."

The smile she gave him was genuine and bright, but it wasn't as bright as it could have been. It was dimmed by her doubts.

He would prove himself to her.

✦✦✦

Sometimes Kylo only needed to be in his seal form for a day and other times he needed to be in it for weeks–

–but whenever he left, he made sure to visit Rey at her rock in his seal form. The ocean was huge, but he never felt the need to swim far beyond the shoreline.

She smiled when she saw him in the water, and sometimes he joined her on her rock. He had rarely liked to be touched in his seal form, but when it was her, he didn't mind. He liked the comfort it provided her.

✦✦✦

Having freedom and a life on land was difficult, but for Rey it was worth it. She accepted that he needed to leave her, and she was learning to trust that he would come back.

Kylo always used a different cave to hide his skin, but he trusted her enough not to worry too much. He hid his skin as much for her peace of mind as her own.

When she got into a dark mood, he knew she thought about stealing it again so they would never be parted.

In his dark moods he sometimes wished she would, but he never spoke those thoughts aloud. He now understood why his mom, as much as she had wanted her freedom, didn't leave with him.

There was more to the world than the ocean.

✦✦✦

"You're back." Rey always sounded surprised and pleased when she said that.

He kissed her slow and deep. "I am."

She took his hand and brought him to her bed. "Let me show you how much I missed you."

Leaving was hard, but coming back to her was always worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://captainmarvel42.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/Marvel42Captain).


End file.
